Anson County Arts Council

As the result of a project spearheaded by Paul Ricketts and Sharon Molica, the Ansonia Theatre was donated in 1995 to the Anson County Arts Council by Jack and Judy Poulnott subject to the outstanding mortgage. The mortgage was retired with equal contributions from the Yost Foundation and the Smith Trust. Since then the Anson County Arts Council has planned and worked toward the renovation of the historic Ansonia Theatre.

he Anson County Arts Council’s goal is to restore this theatre as a central location for the arts and cultural expression in our county. The project will focus on historic preservation since the Ansonia is one of the few Vaudeville theatres still remaining in the United States.

To date, the entire inside facility has been completely gutted and the roof above the stage has been removed and replaced with new decking with a rubber membrane covering. Lowery Construction Company is the general contractor and is working with the architects, LS3P Associates, LTD and Stogner Architecture, PA. As with any renovation of an historical building, there have been some unforeseen problems to deal with. The exterior brick walls in the back and the front of the building were constructed with hollow core clay bricks. Due to the age of the wall, it was determined the new, expanded stage would require additional support other than the wall itself. With the advice of an outside engineering firm, it was decided that new concrete footers would be required, running from the basement floor, to support the new stage. The plans for the stage have been enlarged by moving it forward to accommodate handicapped performers and to provide a bathroom and dressing room on the back of the stage. This would allow the Arts Council to use the basement area strictly for storage.

Work on the facade and marquee has also begun. All seating has been removed and is stored offsite. Refurbishing the original seating will involve disassembling the seats and backs, removing old coverings on the seats and replacing any working parts when necessary. The metal surfaces will be powder coated with semi-gloss black polyester powder. The hardwood armrests will be refinished. Seats will be re-padded and recovered and reassembled. The seats will then be reinstalled in the theatre.

The Anson County Arts Council is close to completing a project that many people like you have made possible. Additional funding of $500,000 will be necessary to see the project finalized. It will take a civic effort involving the combination of foundations, area businesses and industry, local government, and interested citizens to complete the funding process. We are asking you to evaluate the future benefits to our community and ask yourself how you or your organization can help this landmark theatre to be restored and provide cultural options to our citizens.